Gerontechnology: Enhancement and satisfaction of life

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Gerontechnology Enhancement and satisfaction of
life

• Herman Bouma

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Contents

• Enhancement and Satisfaction focus since 1991
• Examples early and recent
• Interdisciplinary RD
• Indispensable Methodology
• Four literature studies to be discussed

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Early goals of technology and ageing (before 1990
and still relevant) Compensation and
Assistance Care and Care support
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Ageing is not equivalent with increasingly poor
health and physical or psychological
restrictionsThe majority of ageing people has
no serious chronic restrictions or health
problemsEven if they suffer from these, they
may cherish ambitions and interests similar to
their healthy peers
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Enhancement and satisfaction

• Aging is not synonymous with decline (.for the
  aged and handicapped)
• Despite decline, aging can be made a very
  satisfying experience
• Notion basic in GT from the beginning (1991),
  elaborated in 1996 (Helsinki)

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The elderly citizens are our fundamental
concern We have to learn more about their
objectives, tasks and preferences, what they want
to do and wished to be helped with.(H. Bouma
Gerontechnology making technology relevant for
the elderly. Proceedings 1st international GT
congress ,Eindhoven 1991)
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Four GT goals

• Enhancement and satisfaction
• Prevention and engagement
• Compensation and Assistance
• Care and Care support

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Enhancement and SatisfactionIn GT, Enhancement
is the added value to life experienced by ageing
persons and mediated by technological products or
servicesIn GT, Satisfaction is the positive
feeling of ageing people as mediated by the
presence or use of technological products and
services Their opposites are irritation/frustrat
ion and dissatisfaction as mediated by technology
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Technology for the ageing population Technical
innovations (products services) should be
targeted at the ageing population just as
well.Although this may sound self-evident, in
our real world this goal is still far from being
reached
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Methodology Enhancement and SatisfactionThe
goals are in the realm of social psychology, so
we have to look to that discipline for
methodological issues. Most important what
precise problem is to be solvedIf your skill is
in technology, find a colleague in social
psychology (interdisciplinary collaboration)
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Indispensable methodology (1)

• Make operational definition of Enhancement and
  Satisfaction
• Define relevant domain of daily life
• Define technology- based intervention
• Find representative subjects (education,
  men/women, family, life experiences, interests,
  activities, health,..)
• Define a proper control group

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Indispensable Methodology (2)

• Consider ethical issues (privacy, informed
  consent)
• Consider statistical aspects before and after
  intervention
• Prepare in-depth interviews, partly open
• Carry out pilot experiment(s)

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General requirements

• Work with colleague in other discipline
• Study the literature
• Learn proper English (reading, speaking,
  listening, writing)

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Selection of relevant literature to be
studiedM. Docampo Rama et al. Technology
generation and age in using layered user
interfaces Gerontechnology 2001, 1(1) 25-40A.S.
Melenhorst et al. When do older adults consider
the Internet? An exploratory study of benefit
perception. Gerontechnology 20043(2)
89-101Y.de Kort et al. Persuasive Technology.
Gerontechnology 20054(3)123-127A.Newell. Older
people as a focus for inclusive design
Gerontechnology 20064(4)190-199